


one more chance you gotta take

by Marishna



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Werewolves Are Known, Bachelor Auction, Derek Has a Crush, First Kiss, M/M, Matchmaker Cora, Matchmaker Lydia, Pre-Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Return to Beacon Hills, The Hale Fire, Writer Stiles, mentioned Cora/Isaac
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-13
Updated: 2015-10-13
Packaged: 2018-04-26 04:35:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4990447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marishna/pseuds/Marishna
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Please, if you have any mercy and can possibly make it happen, don't let Mrs. Yancie win me? I remember she had really long nails and dad complained how hard she'd pinch with them."</p>
<p>Lydia laughed. "Don't worry, she's safely retired to her daughter's place in Arizona now. I think you'll be surprised at how much the event has changed, actually. It's been a while since you've been, you know."</p>
<p>Stiles thought back to the last time he'd been in Beacon Hills for the auction and realized it was when he was still in college. Sophomore year, if he recalled correctly. Six years <i>was</i> a long time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	one more chance you gotta take

**Author's Note:**

> Written for prompt 141: worth for the LJ community fullmoon_ficlet

"You couldn't have waited a few more days before trotting me out like a show pony, Lydia?" Stiles griped as he tugged uncomfortably at his bow tie. Lydia slapped his hand down and reached out to readjust it in the back of the limo. 

"This isn't on me. Blame your dad who had to go and get married. Suddenly we're down a bachelor and the auction just _happened_ to match up with your visit," Lydia reminded him for at least the tenth time since she pulled him out the door the day after he landed to get fitted for his tux.

Stiles had been to this auction before, once he was old enough to tag along and watch his dad go up on the block like a piece of meat, all in the name of fundraising for the local police, fire and ambulance departments. He'd seen his dad's butt grabbed one too many times to be 100% comfortable with this but Lydia was on the auction board this year, muscling her way in despite being head researcher at the hospital, and she guaranteed him... well, nothing. There was no indication that this year would be any less handsy than any of the others he remembered but the event was bigger, bolder and had already pulled in over half of what the auction did alone in sponsorship donations.

Lydia was good, Stiles had to give her that. 

Stiles sighed. "Please, if you have any mercy and can possibly make it happen, don't let Mrs. Yancie win me? I remember she had really long nails and dad complained how hard she'd pinch with them."

Lydia laughed. "Don't worry, she's safely retired to her daughter's place in Arizona now. I think you'll be surprised at how much the event has changed, actually. It's been a while since you've been, you know."

Stiles thought back to the last time he'd been in Beacon Hills for the auction and realized it was when he was still in college. Sophomore year, if he recalled correctly. Six years _was_ a long time. 

Stiles was a writer who made a name for himself by writing a supernatural-slanted version of Bourne-esque novels. He started writing one in his last year of college, as a fluke for a creative writing course he took to fill a credit and a hole in his schedule.

Turns out he had a flair for the dramatic. Something his dad snorted at when Stiles relayed his professor's words and muttered, "For that much money a year I could have told you that."

His professor helped him develop the idea and by the end of the school year he had a manuscript ready. His professor had a couple connections in publishing and while they didn't pan out Stiles got some good feedback, as a favor to his prof, made some changes and landed a publisher and an agent.

Four years, five books, and one hellish breakup later Stiles was back in Beacon Hills for the foreseeable future. He realized, upon waking up one morning on his friend's lumpy couch in New York, that he could put the effort into finding his own place again after breaking up with Liam but he didn't _want_ to. He was exhausted. 

By the city, from the constant reminders of the guy who cheated on him, of feeling adrift.

Two months later he touched down at Beacon Hills Regional airport and felt instantly centred as soon as his dad wrapped him in a tight hug.

"Just please, _please_ try to win me? I don't want to fend off wandering hands and not-so-subtle innuendoes that will haunt me until the day I die from someone who I might have had as an elementary school teacher," Stiles moaned, letting his head fall back against the seat in the limo.

Lydia patted his arm and said, "I promise you'll be fine. It's only for one night and this is for _charity_ , remember. Besides," she continued. "You won't even be the only one there people will be whispering about."

"Oh?"

"Remember Derek Hale?" Lydia asked.

Stiles snorted. "Do _I_ remember Derek Hale?"

Lydia rolled her eyes. "Right, stupid question. He's a member of the Beacon Hills Fire Department now."

Stiles raised an eyebrow. "Kind of on the nose, isn't that?" 

Lydia tsked and slapped him lightly on the arm. "Don't be a dick. He's a good guy. His sister moved back to town not long after he did and they're rebuilding the old house. He has a little pack and he's officially reclaimed the territory under the Hale name."

"Hmm," Stiles hummed as he worried at his lip.

Lydia looked over at him, knowingly. "You're not going to say _anything_ about that?"

Stiles shrugged. "What's there to say? I barely knew the guy outside of the whole," Stiles waved his hand. "Fire thing."

Now it was Lydia's turn to let out a disbelieving snort. "It's so precious how you try so hard to deny he's not the basis for the lead character in your books."

Stiles looked her straight in the eye. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Lydia laughed. "You're cute when you blush."

"Say one more word and I'll mess up your hair."

"You do and I'll personally track down Mrs. Yancie and bring her to the auction and give her the money to bid on you."

***

A half hour later Stiles had a champagne glass in hand and was staring up at the restored Beacon Hills Hotel ballroom in amazement. 

"This is so cool," he enthused to Lydia who looked around with a critical eye, making sure everything was set up the way she instructed. "Way better than the school gym."

"Nothing says 'spend money' more than the ever-lasting scent of floor hockey and twenty year old sweaty socks," Lydia pointed out. She grabbed Stiles' arm. "Come on, we have to get you your name tag."

Attendees were milling around, checking out the table with items for the silent auction that was going on at the same time as the bachelor auction. Lydia waved to a few people and smiled brightly at people who thanked and congratulated her on her hard work. Stiles was thankful to be floating under the radar for the moment so he could take in the scene.

Already this was a more posh event than he remembered it being. And while it always drew a crowd the ballroom seemed to be filling up quickly, almost too much for his liking. Stiles took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, calming his rising nerves.

"Remember, this is just a friendly fundraiser," Lydia said quietly, sensing his unease from knowing him for so long.

"Not exactly the way I wanted to announce I was home," Stiles laughed nervously.

"And in twelve short hours from now this will all be a memory and you can get back to your tragically pathetic life of writing best selling novels and being famous for it," Lydia ribbed him gently.

Stiles nodded and smiled, seeing the forest for the trees. She always knew how to cut through the bullshit with him.

They stepped up to the check-in table where the bachelor name tags were being handed out. 

"Stiles Stilinski," Lydia announced to one of the attendees. 

"Lydia, hi!" Someone called out from Lydia's other side so Stiles stepped forward to accept his name tag and was pinning it on when Lydia drew him with her. He was trying to get the damn thing on straight when they stopped suddenly and he bumped into something.

He looked up quickly.

Someone. Derek Hale.

"Shit, sorry," he apologized hastily.

"No problem," Derek replied easily. He hesitated, then stuck his hand out while Lydia and another woman watched them quietly. "Derek Hale."

"Yeah," Stiles replied as he accepted Derek's hand and shook it, feeling dazed. Then he blinked. "I mean, yes. Um, sorry. I'm Stiles. Stilinski. Stiles Stilinski. Jesus Christ, I'm sorry," he repeated. "I don't get out much."

Derek gave him a tight smile and nodded. Lydia cleared her throat and Stiles turned to her gratefully.

"Stiles, this is Cora Hale, Derek's sister." Stiles shook her hand eagerly, hoping his palm wasn't as sweaty as he feared it was. 

"You just moved back to town?" Cora asked and Stiles nodded.

"A week now. Never thought it would be so awesome to sleep in my old bed again," Stiles laughed.

"Planning on staying long?" she ask curiously.

Stiles shrugged. "For the foreseeable future, I suppose. It's good to be back."

"You're probably going to miss the big city," Cora commented, drawing a strange look from Lydia.

Stiles shrugged. "I had my fill. New York is great, don't get me wrong, but it wears on you. Good thing about my work is that I can take it with me," he said, tapping his head. He took a sip of his champagne quickly before adding with a glance at Derek. "And I think I'll find lots of inspiration here."

This seemed to satisfy Cora for the moment and Lydia steered the conversation to topics that weren't Stiles-related while Stiles stared at neutral spots on the floor and around the room, consciously avoiding looking at Derek.

"They're going to call for us," Derek said suddenly a few minutes later, putting his own glass down, likely with wolfsbane-infused alcohol in it. Sure enough the auctioneer stepped to the microphone and asked for the bachelors to make their way backstage so they could begin.

Lydia plucked Stiles' glass from his hand which he protested, but she didn't give him moment before she was tugging on his bow tie, straightening it and smoothing out the lines of his jacket. She turned him around, slapped him on the ass and pushed him away.

"Hey!" he protested, looking back but all she did was wink at him while Cora grinned, too. Derek was already gone ahead of him. He pointed at Lydia and mouthed, _you'd better win me_ but she looked back at him innocently.

He had a bad feeling about this.

***

The firefighters went up first so Stiles was in the backstage "green room" area feeling a bit lost until some of the Deputies from the station joined him and Stiles felt more at ease again. 

He was laughing at something Deputy Parrish was saying, relaying a story about his dad and a case they worked on, when he heard Derek's name called from the stage. He was the last of the firefighters to go up. Stiles tried to listen to Parrish but was distracted with trying to hear the bidding for Derek escalate sharply and quickly.

Normally the bachelors went for anywhere from a couple hundred dollars to about a thousand which, from what Stiles remembered, was the highest bid ever. Bids on Derek flew past a grand and hit $1500, drawing a roar from the crowd. 

Stiles and the rest of the guys in the back stepped up to the hall behind the stage and listened in as bids continued to be called out. 

"$1750!"

"$1825!" 

"$2000." Stiles heard Lydia's voice ring out, clear and true over the din. There was a pause and the buzz from the crowd got louder, clapping and some hooting. 

"$2000 going once. Going twice. Sold! To Miss Lydia Martin!" 

Stiles swore under his breath and mentally prepared himself to have his ass pinched all freaking night.

The deputies were up next and Parrish reluctantly bid him good luck before pressing a piece of paper with his phone number on it into his hand. Stiles smiled back genially and felt a jump of interest but he was too disappointed in Derek being won by someone and that someone being Lydia for him to care too much that he might stand a chance with Parrish.

He wasn't sure he could date his dad's deputy in good conscious, anyway.

The crowd was fired up from a record bid and other bidders started playing fast and loose with their money although no deputy went for as much as Derek did. Stiles dug his phone out of his pocket and contemplated texting Lydia but refrained. She'd owe him, is all. 

Big.

As big as the bruises on his damn ass.

The ambulance service went after the six eligible deputies were won. There were only three of them and then it was Stiles' turn, first on the docket of regular citizens up for grabs. He felt like barfing, swiped his sleeve over his forehead and climbed the steps to the stage slowly. He took a deep breath and stepped out into the light with a wide smile, playing this like every single one of his book signings.

"Next up is... holy shit, Stilinski!"

The auctioneer was Coach Finstock, the coach from high school, and Stiles couldn't help but grin wider. Finstock grabbed him in a quick but tight bear hug before stepping back and clearing his throat.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have a treat for you tonight! As many of you know, our Sheriff is now off the market but instead we have his son, best-selling author of the 'Darkest Wolf' series: Stiles Stilinski!"

Catcalls and cheers erupted from the crowd and Stiles fought not to wince from the assault of noise. He couldn't make out anyone in particular because of the bright lights and that was probably for the best. He smiled and waved to the crowd.

"How about we start the bidding on this fine young piece of man me—er, this fine example of Beacon Hills pride at $250?"

"$250!"

"$300!"

"$400!"

"$475!"

The bids rang out quicker than Stiles could keep track. He could make out the vague shape of hands flying up across the room but didn't know if any of them were Lydia and couldn't quiet make out any particular voice over the hum of sound.

Finstock was yelling and pointing across the room in all directions as the number rose, climbing over $1000, soaring past $1500 and edging close to that night's $2000 record.

"$2100!"

The crowd roared their approval of the new highest bid and Stiles kept smiling in a dazed fashion. This was overwhelming and insane. If anyone told him in high school or college or, hell, even a month earlier, that he beat _Derek Hale_ for the highest bid at Beacon Hills' biggest fundraising event every year he'd ... well, he'd have any number of responses but none of them as sedate as the one he was currently having out of pure shock.

The bidding edged up in smaller increments and started to slow down. Finstock had his gavel at the ready and was about to call out for someone to the far left of the room when a clear voice rang out from the back. 

"$2500!"

Not Lydia. But maybe someone without overly pinch-y fingers?

"Going once, going twice—SOLD for $2500 to Cora Hale!" Finstock yelled and Stiles froze for a split second, then grinned in relief.

Finstock clapped him on the back hard and was muttering something in his ear about stopping by the school during practice to visit the old team, swing by the teachers' lounge to see everyone while he was there and Stiles nodded numbly as Cora made her way through the crowd to accept her bachelor.

"Thank god," Stiles said in a normal tone as he got off the stage to thunderous applause, knowing she'd hear him. She looked at him curiously.

"I'm glad I was won by someone I know. Kind of," he added hastily. Cora gave him a half smile and led him to the payment table.

Lydia was waiting for them with a smirk, Derek standing behind her a few paces. Stiles grabbed her arm and pulled her away gently to whisper in her ear.

 "I know I'm bi but tell me the truth here, does she like me?" Stiles asked urgently, knowing that even though he just met her Cora wasn't really his type.

He was definitely into more of the tall and handsome version...

Lydia snorted. "Hardly. She's in some weird relationship with Isaac Lahey. She did it as a favor to me."

Stiles blinked. "Not sure how I feel about a pity bid but thank you nonetheless."

"After all that whining about being won by someone handsy with dentures?" Lydia asked in disbelief. Stiles kissed her quickly on the cheek.

"You're right, this is great. Thank you."

"Why don't you and Derek go find a table while Cora and I get some drinks. We're your sugar mamas for the night, after all," Lydia ribbed him and Stiles groaned.  

"Please never ever say that again."

Lydia elbowed him lightly before walking away with Cora towards the bar, heads pressed together in a way that made Stiles' spidey senses tingle. He turned slowly to Derek who was watching him intently.

Stiles inclined his head to the tables to the back of the room. "Shall we?"

Derek nodded but didn't move so Stiles took that to mean he was leading the way. He chose a table near the back of the room within sight if the door in case he needed a quick escape. He took the seat with his back to the room even though he didn't want to because he knew Derek would want the one facing the room. He was surprised, however, when Derek sat in the seat beside him and angled his body in Stiles' direction.

Derek stared at him and Stiles started to feel scrutinized and panicked inside, trying to think of something to say.

"So... the fire department." Stiles resisted the urge to facepalm and forced a smile.

Derek quirked his eyebrow back. "So... writing books."

Stiles nodded. "Touche."

They lapsed into silence again and Stiles felt the pressure creeping in again to say something, anything, but then Derek leaned in close to him.

"Can I ask you something about your books?"

Stiles blinked. "You've read my books?"

Derek nodded eagerly. "It's not very often a book, let alone a whole series, comes along that gets the information about us somewhere in the ballpark of reality. You're the closest I've read yet."

Stiles felt his cheeks get red and he ducked his head a bit. He didn't always get the most honest reactions from werewolves about his books, if at all, and he knew it was because some of them refused to read them on principle and some because they didn't want to admit they read them so to hear this kind of feedback from Derek Hale... it was big.

"Wow, that's... thanks. That's cool."

"So can I ask you something?"

"Oh, right. Yeah, sure."

"Do you think it's possible for Zach to ever be happy?" Derek asked and Stiles sat back, a little floored by the question. The seriousness in Derek's voice made Stiles believe that he'd been thinking about that for a while and rarely did anyone seem to see past the "sexy adventures" his character had or the dangerous situations he got himself in and out of.

"Well," Stiles started slowly. He had to be careful how he answered this because he didn't want to blurt out how much of his character was based on the Derek Stiles had blown up in his head to bizarrely fantastical proportions. 

"Zach started seeking his redemption through pain and at first it seemed like it was pain caused to someone else but clearly he was just hurting himself that way and using his preternatural power as an excuse to put himself in those situations. But he's grown a lot in my head and, I hope, on the pages. I think he's getting to a place where he's starting to forgive himself and realizing that he's finding out who he is beyond a weapon. He doesn't have to cause pain to be in pain and vice versa."

Derek nodded but was quiet so Stiles continued. "I have his mental character arc planned out in my head for the next couple of books so now it's a matter of finding complimentary situations for him to deal with. My publisher wants bigger and more extreme situations but, to be honest, I just want Zach to be happy."

"You talk about him like he's a real person," Derek commented with a small smile. Stiles shrugged instead of saying anything and smiled back, knowing he was sitting with a living lie detector.

"To be honest," Derek said, dropping his voice so Stiles had to lean in closer to hear. "I started reading your books to see how bad they were going to be. But they were good and then I uh. I ended up seeing a lot of the character in myself and I related to him."

Stiles pressed his lips together to keep from bursting into laughter. Derek could never know how on the nose he was about that.

"I know it's stupid," Derek continued and Stiles reached out quickly to cover his hand, squeezing tightly.

"No! Don't ever think that!" Stiles exclaimed, then backed off, realizing what a werewolf faux pas he'd just committed but Derek's smile widened and Stiles relaxed. "Do you know what a compliment it is for a writer to hear that someone related so well to a character they created? That's a huge deal, at least to me."

Derek nodded, still smiling. "Good."

Stiles steered the conversation back around to more neutral territory, trying not to be in the situation where he'd have to lie or inadvertently reveal the truth about his books. Derek was affable and laughed easily at Stiles' lame jokes and Stiles hung on Derek's every word about his decision to train and join the fire department.

It was well over a half hour later before he realized Lydia and Cora were nowhere to be found with the promised drinks. He looked around when someone from Derek's station came up to say hello and saw Lydia by the bar with Cora, surrounded by guys and laughing while lapping up the attention. 

Stiles texted her quickly, _Thought you were getting drinks._

Lydia caught his eye from across the room before responding, _You seemed to have things under control. Cora and I are going dancing, fyi, and you two aren't invited._

_What are we supposed to do?_ Stiles shot back with a frown.

_You're already doing it. Truthbomb time: he's been talking about you since you were in town for your dad's wedding last fall._

Stiles started tapping back a response but a message from a strange number popped up. 

_It's true, he hasn't shut up about you since you got back to town._

Stiles looked up and saw Cora roll her eyes at him.

_Please put him out of his lovesick puppy misery and never let me know the details._

Stiles put his phone down and Derek was watching him carefully. 

"Sorry, didn't mean to be rude. Looks like we've been stood up," Stiles said, nodding his head to where Lydia and Cora were putting on their coats and leaving with a couple guys.

"Suppose you want to get out of here, too, then," Derek said, tone purposely light. Stiles nodded and stood up, then reached his hand out to Derek.

"Come on, we're near one of my favorite places in Beacon Hills. Want to check it out with me? I haven't been in a while."

Derek accepted Stiles' hand, looking a little stunned. They left the hotel and walked down the street toward the historical part of town that Stiles remembered being run down in more recent years. He was happy to see signs of revitalization happening, like a community garden in what used to be the courtyard of the city museum before it was moved to a newer building while Stiles was in high school. Some of the older buildings looked like they were in stages of renovation and some had small, artisan businesses in them, making way for a type of area Stiles would never have expected to see in Beacon Hills when he left for school years earlier.

At the end of the street was a boardwalk, of sorts, that overlooked the city's newer development. When he was a kid his mom would bring him to the museum for the afternoon, then they'd get ice cream and eat it while watching over the whole city. The structure was old but sound and Stiles felt another click inside himself, like this was _right_ and where he was meant to be.

"I kind of remember this," Derek said as he stepped up beside Stiles.

"I used to come here all the time when I was younger. Watched all that as it was built from the ground up," Stiles said, gesturing to all the lights below them from the "new" subdivisions. 

He could feel Derek's eyes on him but didn't want to ruin the perfect moment so he stayed quiet and waited. It didn't take long for Derek to clear his throat.

"I have to admit something," he started. Stiles continued staring straight ahead but Derek knew he was listening and so he continued. "I've had a crush on you for a while. It started with your books and I guess I was into the idea that I sort of knew someone famous who wrote something that I felt connected to. I figured I'd never see you again, though, because I knew you lived across the country and I heard you were with someone. But then you came back for your dad's wedding and I realized I more than admired you for your writing."

Stiles wasn't sure how to respond and didn't want to get Cora in trouble for telling him already so he went with, "Oh."

Derek let out a groan. "You knew already. I've been making a fool of myself all evening and you knew."

Stiles turned to Derek quickly. "Hey, no. I just found out. And you totally didn't make a fool of yourself, the _opposite_ of making a fool. If you could make yourself a genius I'm sure that's how _not_ a fool you've been," Stiles rambled. "Um. That didn't end as well as I hoped it would in my head. Please don't hold that against my writing."

Derek, against all odds, laughed. "Cora told you somehow, didn't she?"

"Pretty sure we've been set up," Stiles said with a nod.

"Lydia," Derek said, cluing in.

"And your sister."

"That's..."

"Awkward?" Stiles guessed.

"A little. But surprisingly sweet of her. And I'm okay with this," Derek said slowly, sounding surprised. 

Stiles felt a spark of inspiration and could picture plotting out a moment of epiphany just like this for his next book, but filed it away for later because Derek was looking at him with determination and Stiles knew he should be present in every way for whatever was about to happen.

"You know, Cora paid for your bid out of the family trust so, in a way, I'm your winning bidder," Derek said casually while they leaned on the railing while looking out over the city.

"Yeah? You disappointed with what you bought, then?" Stiles teased, smirk spreading across his face as Derek edged closer to him and caught Stiles' chin gently in one hand. He watched Stiles closely before leaning in.

"Worth every penny," Derek murmured and then captured Stiles' lips in a sweet, soft kiss.


End file.
